Former Hospital Employees in Bantul Protest Over Unpaid Wages

Former employees of Griya Mahardhika General Hospital in Bantul took to the streets yesterday to demand the payment of their outstanding salaries. Dozens of protesters gathered at the hospital in Druwo, Bangunharjo, Sewon, carrying banners with messages such as, ‘Working hard is normal, but working hard without being paid is not.’

One of the protest representatives, Nurul Fitriah, stated that 36 former employees have not received their wages for four months and have already filed for termination due to the salary dispute. ‘The background to our demonstration today is the demand for our rights in the form of wages that have not been paid by RSU Griya Mahardhika Jogja for four months,’ she told reporters on Saturday.

Fitriah explained that multiple formal mediation attempts had been made, including two official bipartite meetings and two tripartite negotiations with the Bantul Manpower and Transmigration Office, but the company showed no goodwill to settle the payment. During the protest, the hospital invited representatives for another mediation session with the local manpower office acting as mediator. However, Fitriah noted that no agreement was reached on the payment terms and schedule, as the proposal would need to be forwarded to the hospital’s board of directors.

Hospital representative Putri Agustiningtyas Kurniawati acknowledged the official mediation process and said the hospital respects the former employees’ right to voice their aspirations. She confirmed that the hospital will follow the mediator’s directions and that a follow-up meeting is planned to respond to the demands. Putri assured that the protesters’ demands would be conveyed to the board of directors for a decision.